In The Name of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

As-salaamu alaikum wa rahmatUllahi wa barakaatuhu (Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings).

I pray to Allah, Most High, for your health, happiness and vigour in Islamic spirits and I hope that this e-mail finds you all in the best of health and the highest of Ima'n...Aameen, Ya Rubb ul Aalameen.

I agree with u all the way, brother. As far as I am concerned, the labelling of the beard as a Sunnah, instead of a Fardh is one of the biggest charades played by unscruplous "scholars" of this ummah. Growing of beard is a command of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to Muslim males and the command of the Messenger of Allah (saw) is, in effect, the command of Allah (swt).

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YUSUFALI: Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire.
PICKTHAL: Nor doth he speak of (his own) desire.
SHAKIR: Nor does he speak out of desire.

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YUSUFALI: It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:
PICKTHAL: It is naught save an inspiration that is inspired,
SHAKIR: It is naught but revelation that is revealed,

In accordance with the Book of Allah (swt), it is imperative on a Muslim to follow the Messenger of Allah (saw).

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YUSUFALI: We sent not a messenger, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of Allah. If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful.
PICKTHAL: We sent no messenger save that he should be obeyed by Allah's leave. And if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come unto thee and asked forgiveness of Allah, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found Allah Forgiving, Merciful.
SHAKIR: And We did not send any messenger but that he should be obeyed by Allah's permission; and had they, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.

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YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.
PICKTHAL: O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority; and if ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if ye are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end.
SHAKIR: O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the last day; this is better and very good in the end.

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YUSUFALI: Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.
PICKTHAL: Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.
SHAKIR: Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much.

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YUSUFALI: It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.
PICKTHAL: And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest.
SHAKIR: And it behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he surely strays off a manifest straying.

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YUSUFALI: He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah: But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds).
PICKTHAL: Whoso obeyeth the messenger hath obeyed Allah, and whoso turneth away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them.
SHAKIR: Whoever obeys the Messenger, he indeed obeys Allah, and whoever turns back, so We have not sent you as a keeper over them.

And obeying a command of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw) cannot be anything but Fardh on a Muslim.

One of the commandments of the Prophet (saw) is the order to grow the beard.

Ibn Umar (raa) related that: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered us to trim closely the moustache and to let the beard grow." [Saheeh Muslim, Eng. translation, Vol. 1, # 499]

The wording of the Command came as, let grow, spare, let go and bring to its full extent. All are in the command form.

When Kissra sent two of his men to the Prophet (saw), as emissaries, they came in with their beards shaved and their moustaches grown, the Prophet (saw) disliked to look at them, and said: "Woe to you! Who ordered you to do this (i.e. to shave the beards and grow the moustaches)?" They said: "Our rabb (i.e. master, meaning Kissra)."

Upon this the Prophet (saw) responded: "But my Rabb (Allah) Commanded me to let my beard grow, and to trim my moustache.

So what about you, O shaven one! What would you feel if the Prophet looked at you and was offended? What would your reply be if he turned away his honourable face from you, saying, "Woe to you! Who ordered you to do this?"

Besides all the statements with regards to the beard are distinct orders, as in "... let your beard grow... Grow your beard... leave your beard..." etc.

In fact, there are many other collections of Hadeeth confirming that the Prophet (saw) had a well grown beard. How astonishing are those who claim to love the Prophet (saw) while they do not love his features, but prefer the look of his enemies, when Allah (swt) made it clear that:

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YUSUFALI: Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
PICKTHAL: Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
SHAKIR: Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, MercifuL

The love that does not entail its holder to follow and imitate the beloved, is only a claim of love and not true love.

The following of the Prophet's (saw) is beloved to Allah (swt). This applies to every matter, even though it may not be obligatory, because the one who loves the Prophet (saw) does not differentiate between what is obligatory and what is not. He follows the beloved because of his love for him so, how should we view it when the matter is known to be obligatory, as it is the case with the growing of the beard?

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YUSUFALI: Deem not the summons of the Messenger among yourselves like the summons of one of you to another: Allah doth know those of you who slip away under shelter of some excuse: then let those beware who withstand the Messenger's order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous penalty be inflicted on them.
PICKTHAL: Make not the calling of the messenger among you as your calling one of another. Allah knoweth those of you who steal away, hiding themselves. And let those who conspire to evade orders beware lest grief or painful punishment befall them.
SHAKIR: Do not hold the Messenger's calling (you) among you to be like your calling one to the other; Allah indeed knows those who steal away from among you, concealing themselves; therefore let those beware who go against his order lest a trial afflict them or there befall them a painful chastisement.

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YUSUFALI: Those who resist Allah and His Messenger will be among those most humiliated.
PICKTHAL: Lo! those who oppose Allah and His messenger, they will be among the lowest.
SHAKIR: Surely (as for) those who are in opposition to Allah and His Messenger; they shall be among the most abased.

Indeed, it is a pity that Muslim men want their women to follow the rules of the Hijab but have no qualms whatsoever in disobeying Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw) when it comes to keeping a beard.

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YUSUFALI: Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (To practise it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture? Will ye not understand?
PICKTHAL: Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practise it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?
SHAKIR: What! do you enjoin men to be good and neglect your own souls while you read the Book; have you then no sense?

Also, quite a few brothers do keep beards but not as it was kept by the Messenger of Allah (saw). They have developed their various "styles" which makes them look "smarter" than what they would look like had they kept their beard according to the "style" of the Messenger of Allah (saw). In my view, keeping such a beard is pointless. Our worships and acts of obedience to Allah (swt) would qualify for approval only if they are done in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saw).

As for those sisters, who are intelligent enough to realise the importance of the Hijab for themselves but, somehow, fail to realise the importance of the beard for their brothers or husbands; one hopes for the Guidance of Allah (swt) to enlighten them - and us too! Aameen.

Portions typed out in blue are excerpts from an essay by Sheikh (Dr.) Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Ismaa'eel.

JazakumUllah Khairan Katheeran.

Was-salaamu alaikum wa rahmatUllahi wa barakaatuhu.

Muhammad Zamin Ezaz

Calcutta, India.

www.islam-qa.com

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